Mark Allen Calls Out Ronnie O’Sullivan for Putting Pressure on Rising Star Wu Yize

Former world number one Mark Allen has cautioned snooker’s top stars, including Ronnie O’Sullivan, not to heap extra pressure on Chinese prodigy Wu Yize, who is rapidly making his mark on the sport.

The 22-year-old has already claimed his first professional title this season at the International Championship in Nanjing, climbed into the top 16, and made his debut at the Ally Pally Masters. 

O’Sullivan on Wu 

Wu is being hailed as one of snooker’s future stars, with O’Sullivan predicting he could reach world number one in as little as three years.

“I think Wu Yize is going to be world number one, I'd give him three years, definitely going to be world champion very, very soon, [he's a] phenomenal player," said O'Sullivan prior to the World Grand Prix in Hong Kong.

“A lot of people liken him to Paul Hunter, but I think he's more like a modern-day Steve Davis.”

“He's more dynamic, more cue power, more aggressive, more scoring power but his positional play for me is on the level of Steve Davis, [and the ball] always goes in the middle of the hole.”

Allen: Let Wu Play Without Added Pressure

After defeating Wu 6-3 in the opening round of the 2026 Players Championship in Telford, Allen shared his thoughts on the young star’s potential.

“I'd rather just let the kid play. He's still so young, don't put any more pressure on him,” the 2024 champion told SportsBoom.co.uk. 

Allen is under the impression that the seven-time world champion’s glowing comments carry a strategic intent. He believes they are meant to unsettle Wu, viewing him as a threat than boosting his confidence. 

“They're already doing it. I think Ronnie's [O’Sullivan] very clever in the sense that if he sees a threat, he'll tuck you up. He’ll try add more pressure.”

According to Allen, this is a tactic O’Sullivan has used throughout his career. He cited past examples where the Rocket made similar remarks about Stephen Maguire and Ding Junhui.

“He'd done it with [Stephen] Maguire, I remember years ago saying he was gonna be the word number one, and look what happened there.”

“He's always said it about even Ding [Junhui], he's obviously done well for a while, but it's interesting comments.”

For a similar view, Kyren Wilson also urged caution around Yize, warning against piling too much expectation on the young star’s shoulders.

Praise and Advice

Overall, Allen was full of praise for Wu, noting that he plays the game the way most players dream of. 

That said, he suggested Wu could benefit from rounding out his game with a bit more focus on defensive and safety play, as his attacking style can leave him vulnerable when things aren’t going his way.

“I think he needs to maybe round his game a little more. I didn't play brilliant there and still won comfortably.” 

“At the minute with his game, if those long ones aren't getting in and he's not making big breaks, he becomes quite easy to play against.”

“But he's great for the game in the sense that when they are going in, he's one of the best in the sport to watch.”

“He scores so fast and he plays the way everyone probably wants to play. On your bad days, he can make you look a bit silly,” he concluded.